


Not So Funny After All

by Tainted_Grace



Series: 'Til the End of The Line [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Eventual Happy Ending, Is this how you tag?, Lost Love, M/M, Smithsonian, Sort Of, nat is a great friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 15:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15122309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tainted_Grace/pseuds/Tainted_Grace
Summary: For the Tumblr prompt so old I couldn't find the original ask: The first time Steve went to the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian was actually when Natasha dragged him there as a joke and then she realized that it wasn’t really funny when he stood in front of the Bucky wall for like twenty minutes and she watched the footage and realized she’s never ever seen him smile like that.This is the beginning of a series I am starting whenever I find the time. Right now it's just a stand alone.





	Not So Funny After All

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this one forever and I finally found the urge to finish it, well at least the first chapter of it...
> 
> One of these days I'm gonna write one of my OTP's and I'm not gonna put any angst in it at all, but today is not that day...

‘It’s priceless. This has to be too good to be true.’ Natasha chuckles to herself as she reads the article, glancing up from her curled up place in the corner of the couch. Steve is standing at the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee and rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. ‘But then again, I would dedicate an entire wing of a museum to him, too…’

+++

Two weeks later she buys two tickets to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum that have access to the new wing that is being unveiled the very next night. A single call into an old friend and everything is set to give Captain America the surprise of his life. She can’t stop the smile that spreads across her face once the tickets are in her hands and then it’s all she can do to stop herself from parkouring all the way down three flights of stairs to the gym where she knows for a fact Steve will be for another two hours. Instead she calmly presses the button to call for the elevator and drums her nails against the cardstock between her fingers, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet all the way down to the guy, pausing at the door to take a deep breath and calm down.

She opens the door and stops dead in her tracks, her good mood deflating somewhat. She has seen Steve’s daily workout a hundred times but today he seems to be putting even more force behind his punches, his whole body moving with each lunge. “Rough night, Cap?”

He pauses and turns around to look at her, taking a breath and returning to his workout as she walks closer. “Couldn’t sleep. D’ we have a mission?”

“No. I was actually coming to ask you if you’d come to the museum with me. I heard a rumor about them putting up a new plane from the 40’s and I figured it would be something you might be interested in. You game?” She waves the tickets in front of her, not feeling even a little bad about the little white lie if it makes America’s good ol’ boy say yes.

“Sure. What time do we leave?”

“We need to be there around 6. We should probably leave around 5 if you wanna make it through rush hour traffic in time.”

“I thought the Smithsonian closed at 5:30.” He grunts, his punches back to their usual force rather than enough to rip a hole in the bag.

“It does. Special viewing. Don’t worry, Cap. It’ll be fun.” She beams, winking at him before bouncing her way back to the elevator bay. “This is gonna be so much fun.”

+++

It’s not fun.

At all.

Natasha has known Steve Rogers pretty much since he woke up from a cryo-coma, but she doesn’t know anything. Sure, she’s read every scrap ever written about Captain America or Steve Rogers, the loving son and the amazing soldier, two seemingly separate people, but she was so incredibly wrong about him.

The moment they get through the front doors of the museum the entire staff is lined up to greet them, all of them clapping when they see the captain. He just looks at Natasha like a deer in headlights, his eyes briefly narrowing and making her feel like she betrayed his trust, which, okay. She’ll give him that, at least. She was pretty shady.

The empty museum is actually kind of peaceful without the little kids running around playing tag or the tourists flagging down every passerby trying to find their way. “I thought you said it was a plane.” Steve says, standing in the entrance of the Captain America and the Howling Commandos exhibit.

“I may have lied about the plane bit. How else was I supposed to get you here? Had I told you they were dedicating a wing all to you you would’ve bolted the other way, Steve.” She reasons and he nods, knowing that that much is true, at least.

“It’s not just for me, though.” He says, stepping forward when he sees the images of his team on the walls. Natasha follows after him, taking her time and reading everything twice to give the Captain time to pay respects to his long-dead friends.

The night would still be a success in Natasha’s book, but then they turn the corner and the entire next 40 feet are dedicated to just James Buchanan Barnes. The somber look on Steve’s face hits Natasha right in the gut, making her feel incredibly guilty for ever thinking this would be a fun prank to pull on Steve. She read the report of Barnes’ death, she knows how much he means to Steve. At least, she thought she did.

The museum staff are more than accommodating. They disappear while the pair of friends take in the exhibit, waiting in the wings in case they are needed. Natasha walks around Bucky’s glass panel, wanting to see the old black and white picture from all angles, but also covertly taking in Steve’s expression. He looks like a wounded dog, his posture stiff and his eyes sad. “How long did you know him?” As she is circling back around to rejoin Steve at his side she checks her watch. The man has been staring at the picture, the first image he’s seen of Bucky in 70 years, for more than 20 minutes.

“My whole life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know him.” He says and the tone is unlike anything she has ever heard come out of him before.

Just then one of the staff members comes up to them, trying to remain respectful but also trying to get their attention. Steve takes a deep breath and looks up, all but tearing his eyes away from the blown up image of his best friend’s face. “I’m sorry to interrupt. It’s just, well, when Miss Romanoff mentioned that you would be coming we knew that we wanted you to see this before anyone else. Would you please follow me?” The mousy little skip of a man gestures towards the end of the hall they have yet to visit and they nod, following after him to a little darkened alcove where a projector and a few rows of carpeted benches have been set up. “We found this in an old archive and we thought it only right that you see it before the general public find out about it.”

With that the man leaves and Steve and Natasha take a seat in the front row, waiting patiently while the screen is lit and the film rolls. From right beside him Natasha can hear the short little gasp that Steve does when he sees the black and white film of himself and the Howling Commandos. Natasha would love to watch the footage but she is too busy watching Steve’s face, noticing all the subtle ticks and changes in real time. The voiceover draws her attention back to the screen as the narrator waxes about the team.

“In all their time loyally serving at their Captain’s side, only one of the Commandos gave their life in service for their country. Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, the Captain’s lifelong best friend, died…” Steve stands up, taking a step forward when he sees footage of his friend on the screen and Natasha feels suddenly out of her depth.

The next shot is of the two men back at base, smiling and hanging off of each other like best friends are wont to do, the other Commandos standing around them in a semi-circle, all of them holding mugs of beer out in a toast and Natasha rises to her feet as well when she realizes something.

Not once has she ever seen Steve smile like that…

**Author's Note:**

> So? What do you think?
> 
> I promise the next chapter is gonna be better. Natasha is also gonna realize that she really underestimated just how close Steve and Bucky were, complete with a super detailed smutty flashback to make up for the heart-wrenching of this chapter.
> 
> I apologize for any feels caused by my words contained above. You can feel free to chew me out in the comments. I'd love to chat with you guys down there. 
> 
> I guess I'll talk to you later.


End file.
